Thousands of vehicles stranded in Karachi as transporters stage sit-in against Customs

KARACHI: Thousands of vehicles were stranded on the Northern Bypass on Saturday as transporters staged a sit-in protest against Pakistan Customs, blocking the key route for several hours.

According to reports, the protest—led by the Transporters Association—has continued for more than 10 hours, causing long queues of traffic on the busy artery of Karachi. The road has been closed to all types of traffic.

The demonstration erupted following an alleged altercation between transporters and customs officials.

Protesters accused customs personnel of smashing the windows of 20 to 25 vehicles, using abusive language during an argument, and even opening fire and using batons against transporters over a petty issue.

They claimed that three to four people were injured in the clash and were shifted to hospitals late at night.

Transporters warned that their sit-in will continue until an FIR is registered against the officials allegedly involved in the firing and baton-charging. Protesters said that no government representative had arrived yet for negotiations.

The ongoing blockade has severely disrupted traffic flow, leaving thousands of commuters stuck for hours on the Northern Bypass.

Earlier on Sep 16, 2025, transporters staged a protest against the Customs check post at Hub Chowki, disrupting traffic on the main Quetta-Karachi highway, ARY News reported.

The protesters blocked the road, halting the flow of traffic between Quetta and Karachi. They accused customs officials of demanding bribes and harassing goods-carrying vehicles, instead of targeting smugglers.

Tensions escalated when the scuffle broke out between the protesters and customs personnel. Reports indicate that a physical altercation occurred, followed by baton charges and aerial firing by customs officials to disperse the crowd. The situation created a state of chaos, with the area resembling a battlefield.

Police later arrived at the scene and managed to bring the situation under control.